The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and relevant links.

Young Moon in Late December

This sliver of a crescent Moon, underscored here by a reddened contrail, was captured over southwestern Poland on the evening of December 30, 2016. The Sun had set only a few minutes before I took this shot. Just 1.6 percent of the Moon's surface is illuminated as observed approximately two days after the occurrence of the new Moon. If you look closely, you should be able to detect earthshine. This is the dim glow on the Moon's non-illuminated side -- within the arms of the sunlit crescent.

Look for the young crescent Moon this evening. It'll be in the southwestern sky about an hour after sunset -- below brilliant Venus.